Hamas has agreed to disarm, Trump says

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that the Board of Peace, which he chairs, reached an agreement with Hamas for the complete disarmament ‌of the terror groups that rule and control the Gaza Strip.

Trump stated that it was a “major milestone in the implementation” of his 20-point plan to bring an end to the Israel-Hamas war and begin the recovery process in the enclave.

The pact will be implemented in phases, as the Israel Defense Forces withdraw as disarmament progresses, according to Trump.

An international stabilization force under the auspices of the Board of Peace is to work in tandem with a newly-built Palestinian police force to provide security.

Trump praised Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, which helped mediate with Hamas, he said.

“This agreement is a critical step towards Gaza finally being governed by a new Palestinian ‌government ⁠that will work closely with the Board of Peace to help the Palestinian people,” Trump wrote. “At the same time, Israel will have the security it deserves.”

Israel has not commented on the development, although officials have said that they are skeptical that Hamas will follow through.

Hamas has not commented officially, though two senior officials confirmed the deal anonymously to AFP.

A U.S. official said that Iran tried unsuccessfully to persuade Hamas not to agree to the deal.

Officials on a call with reporters following Trump’s post acknowledged that there is no trust between Israel and Hamas. The proposal is based on “zero trust” but “with every step verified,” they said.

An official involved in negotiations said that the disarmament process would take place over a matter of weeks, but urged reporters not to get hung up on timelines.

“Implementing the agreement will take time,” an official said, decrying nonprofits and terrorists in the enclave that set up a system “for people to profit from the misery.”

Once disarmament is completed, “the technocratic government will have a monopoly on weapons in the Gaza Strip,” an official said.

Negotiations seemingly hit a dead end multiple times after an October ceasefire that followed two years of war on the heels of the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attacks.

A U.S. official expressed confidence that Israel would fulfill its obligations under the peace plan, as Hamas and other Palestinian terror groups transfer responsibility for civil and security matters to the technocratic transitional government formed under the Board of Peace.

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